


That One Thing

by Verlaine



Category: The Expendables (Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2020-01-06 22:36:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18397733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Verlaine/pseuds/Verlaine
Summary: One kiss, five drabbles.





	That One Thing

One thing about Barney Ross: he was all about the plan. When his team's lives—and a fuck-ton of money—depended on everything running like clockwork, he didn't believe in leaving things to chance. The last time he'd taken his eye off the ball he'd ended up having to shoot Gunnar.

He'd run through this in his head often enough that he figured he could do it blind-folded. Wait till Christmas had his first beer, then move in. Reach for what he wanted. Might lose it all, but what the hell.

If he didn't take the chance, he'd never know.

 

**

One thing about Lee Christmas: he had great reflexes. Had to, to keep hanging with a guy like Barney, whose idea of fun was likely to get everybody around him shot at on a pretty regular basis. A lot of it was instinct, completely by-passing the brain, but most of it was well-honed experience and endless practice.

So when Barney planted one on him, Lee took about half a nanosecond to figure out what was going on, another one to figure out how he felt, and then leaned right in. He knew how Barney moved, and was already halfway there.

**

Another thing about Barney: he was flexible. In his line of work, most plans never survived first contact with the enemy; sometimes he'd swear the only intel was bad intel. 

He'd figured there were about six realistic ways this thing could go, and Christmas actually getting into it was number seven. He was prepared to back off fast, even had a joke ready. Then hard hands fisted in his hair, and Lee was kissing back like he'd waited half his fucking life for this.

Lee liked what he was getting? Fine. Barney had a lot more where that came from.

**

Another thing about Lee: he was smarter than he looked. Some days it was useful to play the bullet-headed thug, practically dragging his knuckles on the ground. But you didn't get into the SAS without understanding things like tactics and strategy and how to produce optimal outcomes. He'd been taught the concept of picking your battles, and what a Pyrrhic victory was.

He'd made some dumb choices because he'd worked hard at not looking for what he'd sort of wondered might be there. Hadn't asked, because he didn't want to be told.

But now he knew, and knowledge was power.

 

**

One thing about Barney and Lee together: they kept a balance. They were both crazy mofos, but in different ways. The push-and-pull between them kept the cray-cray from getting out of hand, even when it sometimes didn't look like it from the outside.

But the rest of the team understood. Saw how often that balance kept them from coming back in body bags. So if the new normal was a little more touchy-feely than they'd expected, they'd learn to deal. Barney and Lee deserved it.

The guys clinked their beer bottles together, and started planning a very drunk engagement party.


End file.
